This application claims the priority of German Patent Document 100 48 121.3, filed Sep. 28, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a wheel suspension system for motor vehicles, particularly passenger cars, comprising an approximately horizontally positioned spring-and-damper unit which, by way of levers and links, interacts with wheel carriers of opposite wheels.
A known wheel suspension system, as in British Patent Document GB 1 300 028 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,385, of the initially mentioned type, has a spring-and-damper unit, a coil spring surrounding a damper, which is aligned transversely with respect to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is horizontally arranged and is connected with levers at both ends. The levers can be swivelled about an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and are connected by means of links to wheel carriers of opposite wheels. The construction and the position of the spring-and-damper unit or of the levers, also the projecting size of the latter, specifically in the transverse direction of the vehicle, not only require considerable space, which makes the accommodation of assemblies, pieces of luggage or the like more difficult, but, in addition, impairs the free design of a motor vehicle in the area or adjacent to the area of a wheel suspension system.
In British Patent Document GB 2 328 190, a wheel suspension system is discussed which comprises a horizontally positioned spring-and-damper unit for each wheel side and interacts with the pertaining wheel by way of levers and links. Both damper units are linked to a central rhombic plate, and the levers are constructed such that they can be swivelled by way of axes aligned in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. This construction also has the disadvantage that the space between the oppositely arranged wheels can essentially be utilized only for components of the wheel suspension system.
It is therefore an object of certain preferred embodiments of the invention to provide a wheel suspension system for motor vehicles which have a space-saving construction while providing good operation. However, special attention should also be paid to the construction of the bearings of levers of the wheel suspension system on a vehicle body structure.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, this is achieved by providing, for a wheel, the horizontally positioned spring-and-damper unit and a lever which said lever can be swivelled about one of an upright and inclined axis and which, by way of a first lever section, said lever is applied to the spring-and-damper unit, by way of a second lever section as well as a first link, is connected to the wheel carrier of the wheel and, by way of a third lever section as well as a second link, is connected to a stabilizer. Additional characteristics further developing certain preferred embodiments of the invention are described herein and in the claims.
Principal advantages achieved by way of certain preferred embodiments of the invention are that, because of the construction of the spring-and-damper unit, of the lever and of the links, the construction for each side of the wheel meets extensive demands, such as wheel guidance and distribution of forces, on a high-performance wheel suspension system. In this case, the space requirement of the components of the wheel suspension system is acceptably low, so that other assemblies as well as pieces of luggage can be accommodated in a simple manner. Furthermore, the lever for receiving the links has a clear design principle and so does its bearing on the journal which establishes a high-strength connection with the body structure of the motor vehicle. Finally, the bearing journal, which is made of metal, and its components, which are made of the same material, with respect to their special construction, are very suitable for the arrangement on a vehicle body structure made of a composite material, such as carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, and thus for the advantageous bearing of the lever on the above-mentioned body structure.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.